The Bad Seed Activities and Comprehension Questions
The Bad Seed by Jory John promotes a growth mindset. Read on to find The Bad Seed activities and comprehension questions to promote the importance of self-reflection and having a positive attitude towards yourself.
The Bad Seed by Jory John, a sunflower seed, acts badly because others think it is bad, but realises it is never too late to change its behaviour even if others still judge it. Its theme includes people who can positively change their behaviour even if others still judge them for their previous behaviour.
The Bad Seed by Jory John also gives you the opportunity to teach:
- the importance of self-reflection
- how actions of bullying affect others
- positive attitudes towards yourself
- attitudes and behaviors that lead to successful learning
- self-management and self-awareness
- character traits and analysis
- inferring and predicting
- main idea and theme
- making connections
- retelling, sequencing and summarizing
Scroll down for The Bad Seed activities, discussion questions and videos.
The Bad Seed Summary
An angry-looking sunflower seed tells the reader, “I’m a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaaad seed.” Corn kernels, peanuts, pistachios and hazelnuts mumble negatively about the bad seed and attempt to keep their children away from it.
The Bad Seed overhears their negative comments and sees them keeping their distance. It explains its reputation. “I never put things back where they belong… I tell long jokes with no punch lines… I lie about pointless stuff,” and “I finish everybody’s sentences.” It becomes clear a traumatic experience of nearly being eaten as an infant meant The Bad Seed had “become a different seed entirely.”
The seed starts to reflect on its behaviour and makes a choice to not be bad anymore. As the seed’s self-esteem grows and its behaviour improves, the other seeds begin to see it in a new light.
The Bad Seed by Pete Oswald
Illustrator: John Jory
Publisher: HarperCollins (2017)
ISBN: 9780062467768
Take a look inside
John Jory Official Website
Book Series
The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Cool Bean, The Couch Potato, The Smart Cookie
Related Books
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright
The Bad Seed Activities & Resources
I have created literacy graphic organizers for The Bad Seed. You can find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. There are many activities for each literacy area to differentiate depending on your student’s ability/age. They include activities for:
- Author’s Purpose
- Cause & Effect
- Character Traits and Analysis
- Comprehension Questions and Writing Prompts
- Inferring and Predicting
- Main Idea and Theme
- Making Connections
- Point of View
- Problem and Solution
- Retelling, Sequencing and Summarizing
*Click on these links to discover book recommendations on these topics.
The Bad Seed Activities & Links
- Books 4 Learning: Ideas for Extension Activities
- Harper Collins Children: Storytime Activities and Printable Activities
- Judy Newman at Scholastic: The Bad Seed: Practicing Good Choices
- Love for the Elementary Counselor: Classroom Guidance Lessons: The Bad Seed
FREE The Bad Seed Activities
Would you like free graphic organisers for The Bad Seed?
I have a freebie that is part of a larger resource so you can try it out before buying anything!
Fill in the form below to get access to the FREE pack. Click on the image to see the full pack on Teachers Pay Teachers.
The Bad Seed Read-Aloud Questions
Read aloud sessions are a wonderful way for children to understand the connection between written text and spoken language. You can model reading habits and strategies, reading fluency, tone and eye contact. You can also introduce different genres, authors and illustrators.
- What do you think made the seed bad?
- What were some of the bad things The Bad Seed did?
- How do you think it felt to be called bad by the other seeds?
- How do you feel about how the other seeds act towards the seed?
- How do you think the seed felt during the incidents in its childhood?
- What happened to The Bad Seed and his family?
- Why do you think the seed decided to change?
- What different emotions did the Seed experience throughout the story?
- How did the seed’s behaviour affect others?
- Why did the seed’s childhood affect its behaviour?
You can find a full set of discussion cards in The Bad Seed Literacy Bundle or as a separate pack.
The Bad Seed Book Videos
Books by Pete Oswald & John Jory
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